Dan Black

Burnley claimed their first Premier League win of the season as Ashley Barnes’s second half header was enough to see off Hull City at Turf Moor.

The Clarets had picked up four points from their opening 10 fixtures as they were rooted to the foot of England’s top tier.

Burnley's Ashley Barnes (second left) scores a header during the Barclays Premier League match at Turf Moor, Burnley. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday November 8, 2014. See PA story SOCCER Burnley. Photo credit should read Richard Sellers/PA Wire. Editorial use only. Maximum 45 images during a match. No video emulation or promotion as 'live'. No use in games, competitions, merchandise, betting or single club/player services. No use with unofficial audio, video, data, fixtures or club/league logos.

But that all changed prior to QPR’s clash against Manchester City at Loftus Road as the Clarets made it eight wins from nine games against the Tigers.

Just over a fraction of five years ago, Graham Alexander’s double on his 900th career appearance gave Owen Coyle the bragging rights over Phil Brown.

This time Barnes was the punisher. The striker’s last goal cemented promotion to the Premier League in a 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic, and this time his first goal among England’s elite ensured Sean Dyche was celebrating while Steve Bruce trudged off in despair.

Again, though, the Clarets lacked the clinical edge and conviction to inflict punishment on their opponents in the first half.

Similar to first half performances against Sunderland and West Ham at Turf Moor, Sean Dyche’s side commanded the opening 45 minutes against Hull City but failed to make the Tigers pay.

Almost immediately Danny Ings spun James Chester on the edge of the area to latch on to Scott Arfield’s lofted pass but the England Under 21 international pulled his effort beyond Steve Harper, Paul McShane and the upright.

City’s only contribution of the first half arrived shortly after when £9.5m Uruguayan striker Abel Hernandez picked up on a loose ball but pulled an attempt harmlessly wide from the edge of the box.

The hosts ramped up the pressure with the zip in distribution and movement suggesting an increase in purpose and intent.

Skipper Jason Shackell led the high line as the home side won the ball in advanced positions, keeping the Tigers confined to their cage.

And they were almost rewarded. George Boyd’s corner was guided back across goal by Stephen Ward, Ings’s sweeping volley was superbly saved by Harper, McShane’s sliced clearance was hooked off the line by team-mate Robbie Brady, before Arfield’s thumping follow-up was blocked.

The home side, sensing blood, continued to press. Ings let Dean Marney’s pass run through to Barnes who was grounded unceremoniously by McShane on the edge of the box, but the set-piece was fired in to the wall.

The Clarets remained unexposed as the half progressed, with the exception of sporadically conceded corners, and it was from one such set-piece that Ings audaciously struck from his own half after spotting Harper off his line but the striker missed the target.

As the half closed, McShane headed over the bar from Tom Huddlestone’s centre meaning the Clarets went in goalless at the interval for the fifth time in 11 Premier League outings.

Early in the second half, the 50th minute to be exact, Turf Moor erupted as Dyche’s side took the lead for the first time since the opening game of the season against Chelsea.

After Ings’s strike was blocked, the ball was worked out wide to Trippier and the defender’s cross was met by Barnes who powered a header past Harper after creeping in-between Chester and Huddlestone.

That forced Bruce in to change. Sone Aluko, Huddlestone and Chester were replaced by Stephen Quinn, Gaston Ramirez and Hatem Ben Arfa respectively.

As expected, the visitors committed men forward in a desperate attempt to salvage a point but the hosts held firm thanks to an imperious defensive display from Michael Duff.

Tom Heaton was rarely tested, and Hernandez’s turn and shot that flashed past the upright was the closest the away side went to finding the net.

And their task was made even more challenging when defender and captain Curtis Davies limped off to send City down to 10 men.

While referee Mark Clattenburg’s card count continued to escalate - as it reached double figures for bookings - Livermore blazed high and wide.

Midweek, David Jones suggested that it would be interesting to see how his team-mates would handle taking the lead. Well, they showed that with an incredibly disciplined performance to claw on to such a fragile deficit.

In the end, substitute Lukas Jutkiewicz could’ve doubled the advantage as he forced the save from Harper after pouncing on Livermore’s mistake.